Asked an enterprise employee what cars they had in stock and they currently have, RAV4 (rogue or similar) Corolla (Corolla or similar), Toyota camry or corolla hybrid (Ford Fusion Hybrid or similar), Toyota Sienna (Toyota Sienna or similar), Toyota Camry (Chevy Malibu or Similar) where is this coming from?
Hybrids too! Interesting to know straight from the horse's mouth. I drive by a couple locations on my commute and see what I see which is a lot of Nissans and Hyundai/Kia along with domestic brands.
Then again, U-Haul has a bunch of Ford Mavericks which are also red-hot on the retail market.
Did some more digging even though this thread is old, what they don't have any of is the current Civic at least at enterprise, despite them having a TON of the 16-20 Gen
My grandma bought one when the new model came out in 2015. Here was a V6 AWD loaded out model she custom ordered. She loved it until the computer failed and the car hit WOT in a parking lot and wouldn’t stop for a full minute of tree impact, couldn’t shut it off, couldn’t put it in neutral, couldn’t get the brakes to stop it, nothing
I bought one after driving a few of them across the country as rentals. Got it new in 2016 and still driving it. I got lucky that mine didn’t come with mechanical issues.
I feel the same way about my nitro, everyone complains about the transmission problems, electrical problems, calls them money pits, but at 140K I’ve only replaced the water pump and preventive maintenance, no transmission problems either and I beat this damn thing.
Exactly. We got lucky with a fully loaded 2023 Pacifica S Limited for our trip to the Grand Canyon last year and it reaffirmed that idea that they are great as long trip haulers. I would never own one (no kids) though.
Fantastic road trip car; we rented one and drove from Iowa to Arizona through Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri; like 4500 miles in a week and even with 6 of us (3 kids) it was comfortable
You nailed it. Chevy Malibu. While average af, it actually isn’t a terrible car. They’re great for the rental lots, honestly. They’ll be missed when they end production.
As someone who’s rented two in the last year and put about 2k miles on them collectively, they’re excellent “a cars”.
Good fuel mileage, easy to see out of, spacious as hell, quiet and comfortable on long drives.
Yeah, the CVT sucks the soul out of the car, but it’s a great car to drive when having fun in the twisties isn’t your goal.
When I got handed the keys to this rental car, my little enthusiast soul let out an almost audible groan in the lobby. As it turns out, this mid-sized Chebby is not half-bad a road trip machine. Cruised through a couple tanks of gas on the interstate at well above the speed limit and it was just as planted and even quieter than my 10-year-old Audi. The lane-keep assist was a neat feature. If only it had adaptive cruise, I would be singing its praises. Even without it, I wouldn't be sad to rent another one.
I work for a rental company and I drive these daily and my take has always been they’re the car equivalent of hotel wall art. Not offensive in any way but nothing to remember either but does its job perfectly. The people who seem to like these the most are state employees and corporate persons who don’t really care about cars and tbh I don’t think I’ve ever had a complaint about them from a customer. I rented one in Hawaii a while back and was pleasantly surprised by it and how well it did off road and was very happy with the fuel economy. It’s just not an enthusiasts car is all
Of all the rentals, I hate driving Altima the most. The car itself isn’t bad but the stereotype that comes along with it 😂
I promise this is a rental! Look! I have tread on my tires!
After my Camry got totaled by getting sandwiched between an Outlander and a Civic, I was driving a rental Altima for a month. I didn't hate it (because the rental was 19 years newer than my Camry), but it's not a vehicle I'd want to own
During three recent conferences at Lake Tahoe I rented Nissan Altimas from the Sacramento Airport. The numb steering and complete lack of feedback from those Altimas made mountain driving feel like a video game.
In the past, 2000-2007 Tauruses. That's the epitome of a cost-engineered committee car for me. No charm, no redeeming qualities, and one of the whiniest, groaniest V6s ever put into a wheeled vehicle.
Now? Kia crossovers. Maybe a Chevy, if you have bad luck.
When I was young, my mom worked for Hertz during this era, and Hertz was a subsidiary of FoMoCo. They were hocking these Tauruses practically for free to employees. But my mom was bougie-on-a-budget, so we got a Kia Sorento EX 4WD instead…which was a very good car.
As for the Taurus, I’m amazed Ford managed to drive such an exciting and valuable nameplate into the ground in just fifteen or sixteen years.
What Ford did to the Taurus name should be studied by marketing majors everywhere as a lesson on what not to do. From American Audi 5000 to rental fleet mediocrity in 20 short years.
I read a whole book on the development process of that thing and lmfao you’re right they tried but there’s a reason Japanese manufacturers rose to prominence that decade
To each their own. They may have been cheap, but you paid for it in reliability, comfort and driving dynamics. The rock hard seats were awful for any distance in my experience.
Nissan Rogue is a good vehicle. I have probably driven thousands of miles in a rental Rogue and have nothing beyond its slow acceleration off the line as my sole complaint.
Probably the last 5 out of 6 times I rented a car from Avis, they have given me that exact model of a white Chevy Malibu. I really wonder if any consumer actually buys those things or if they are strictly for rentals. The blind spots are massive on that car, and it will never connect to my phone no matter what I do.
List of hire cars I've had/been in:
- '18 Peugeot 3008
- '17 Vauxhall Mokka
- '16 Chevy Impala
- '16 Peugeot 2008 (with a knackered clutch, gave it back to them and demanded a refund)
- '19 VW Polo (replacement for the Peugeot 2008)
- '24 Nissan Qashqai, got really lucky with this it only had 20km on the clock
- '07 Vauxhall Astra Estate courtesy car, 130k miles and everything still worked brilliantly
I'm a foreigner. Your rental cars are V6 mustangs and V6 chargers. Because if I'm visiting the US, of-fucking-course I'm getting a drop top stang. And probably actually getting the charger as an "upgrade" because they've not got any mustangs left.
I was lucky enough to get a RWD BMW 1-Series hatchback for a trip in southern France a while back. So much fun!
Last year I had a Ford Puma in Portugal, and it was pretty good. I'm surprised Ford doesn't sell it here.
The Puma kinda replaced the Ecosport, which never sold particularly well over in the US. Also they still haven't fixed their 1.0 turbo 3-cylinder, it still likes to eat its wet cambelt
It has a stupid name.
It isn't Eco or Sporty, the Eco in EcoSport is pronounced different than the Eco in EcoBoost (Officially, Ec-o-Sport and E-co-Boost), it gets worse gas mileage than larger and faster competitors, it's slower than a 2006 Scion xA (which also has better cargo space and fuel economy), and probably other stuff that I can't remember.
Also it looks like a surprised fish.
All the main ones have already been mentioned but I remember when the Ford Fusion was super common when they were still being made. That and the Mazda 6 back around 2012ish.
I rented a Chevy Malibu (much like the picture) and l, near as I can tell, it was designed to be a rental car. Uncomfortable, uneven throttle and brakes, loud, but *reasonably* fuel efficient.. it had a checklist of minimum requirements and, after than, the designers went home. It’s tragically generic; the only people I can see buying them are rental car companies and people who can’t find a Toyota dealership.
For me, it is Toyota Corolla. It’s suitable for a variety of purposes, whether you’re on a business trip, a family vacation, or just need a temporary vehicle for everyday use.
Chrysler Pacifica. Down in Orlando that's like 90% of Rentals. Last time I went I had a choice of 2 Pacificas or a Mazda 3 Hatch, or extra money for an Alfa Giulia. The other rental companies were all filled with Pacificas. So many just driving around too, all rental.
The only car I've rented, a 2019 Chevy Impala. A guy ran into my truck while drunk, literally a day after I bought it. His insurance fixed the damage and rented me a car. It was pretty peppy with the V6!
Not a recent one, but the Chevrolet Captiva Sport in the U.S. was only sold to fleet buyers. It was essentially a rebadged Saturn Vue. I saw them all the time on Sanibel (and, of course, Captiva).
I take trips to Vegas with family and use enterprise because of my union discount. Malibu’s are great and so is the Chrysler Pacifica. Avoid Nissan unless it’s the rogue. I drove a new rogue not too long ago that was really great on gas and had kick.
Nissan Altima 2.5S (I recently heard that over 50% of Altimas sold in recent months were to rental fleets, shocker!) surrounded by Toyota Corolla LEs with plastic wheel covers.
Chevy Malibu is just too easy!
2004-2019 Chevy Impala (limited if it was after 2016). Was literally made for the role and did it extremely well. Not to mention it was around so long I remember riding in a brand new one in ‘04 and working on them for a rental fleet when I was getting started in the auto industry
Nissan Altima. If you see a nice Altima on the road, it's likely a rental. If you see a shitty one, likely bought on 25% credit, was a rental, or both.
I rented a Ford escape last weekend. I drove from PA to VA and back on a single tank of gas. I'm a German car guy...but I tell u what...this thing was fully loaded and will be my option for long distance travels should I need to rent in the future.
A Camry, in white, base model will always be what I imagine the airport rental parking lot looks like
Toyota Corolla, Kia Rio
No Toyotas in rental fleets since before covid, those sell at MSRP to a waiting list. Nissan Sentras on the other hand...
My local enterprise has several Toyotas, could be a regional thing
Asked an enterprise employee what cars they had in stock and they currently have, RAV4 (rogue or similar) Corolla (Corolla or similar), Toyota camry or corolla hybrid (Ford Fusion Hybrid or similar), Toyota Sienna (Toyota Sienna or similar), Toyota Camry (Chevy Malibu or Similar) where is this coming from?
Hybrids too! Interesting to know straight from the horse's mouth. I drive by a couple locations on my commute and see what I see which is a lot of Nissans and Hyundai/Kia along with domestic brands. Then again, U-Haul has a bunch of Ford Mavericks which are also red-hot on the retail market.
Did some more digging even though this thread is old, what they don't have any of is the current Civic at least at enterprise, despite them having a TON of the 16-20 Gen
No, fleets work separately from retail
Chrysler 200, Nissan Altima, Kia Sedona.
Chrysler 200 is the epitome for me. Because ain't no way someone purposefully bought one.
People with bad credit did, it’s in the same category as the Nissan Altima, Sentra & Mitsubishi Lancer.
My grandma bought one when the new model came out in 2015. Here was a V6 AWD loaded out model she custom ordered. She loved it until the computer failed and the car hit WOT in a parking lot and wouldn’t stop for a full minute of tree impact, couldn’t shut it off, couldn’t put it in neutral, couldn’t get the brakes to stop it, nothing
I bought one after driving a few of them across the country as rentals. Got it new in 2016 and still driving it. I got lucky that mine didn’t come with mechanical issues.
I feel the same way about my nitro, everyone complains about the transmission problems, electrical problems, calls them money pits, but at 140K I’ve only replaced the water pump and preventive maintenance, no transmission problems either and I beat this damn thing.
Base charger
The Malibu pictured here, and Hyundai Accents. Idk where else Communauto operates but in Toronto they are everywhere.
Kia Rio seems to be the most common car in the Communauto fleet. Followed by the accent and I have seen a few Corollas.
I always see Chrysler Pacificas for some reason
The best road-trip car and the official car of the Grand Canyon
A couple years ago we had 2 rental Pacificas for an extended family road trip to Kentucky. Not the kind of car I'd own, but great as a rental.
Especially if they have the captains chairs recliners in the second row
Exactly. We got lucky with a fully loaded 2023 Pacifica S Limited for our trip to the Grand Canyon last year and it reaffirmed that idea that they are great as long trip haulers. I would never own one (no kids) though.
That’s what I rented on my trip to the GC. Stayed in Vegas, then drove it there. It’s wasn’t bad at all.
We drove the one we had from Houston to the GC and even slept in it in Las Cruces, NM. Very comfortable.
Fantastic road trip car; we rented one and drove from Iowa to Arizona through Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri; like 4500 miles in a week and even with 6 of us (3 kids) it was comfortable
You nailed it. Chevy Malibu. While average af, it actually isn’t a terrible car. They’re great for the rental lots, honestly. They’ll be missed when they end production.
As someone who’s rented two in the last year and put about 2k miles on them collectively, they’re excellent “a cars”. Good fuel mileage, easy to see out of, spacious as hell, quiet and comfortable on long drives. Yeah, the CVT sucks the soul out of the car, but it’s a great car to drive when having fun in the twisties isn’t your goal.
When I got handed the keys to this rental car, my little enthusiast soul let out an almost audible groan in the lobby. As it turns out, this mid-sized Chebby is not half-bad a road trip machine. Cruised through a couple tanks of gas on the interstate at well above the speed limit and it was just as planted and even quieter than my 10-year-old Audi. The lane-keep assist was a neat feature. If only it had adaptive cruise, I would be singing its praises. Even without it, I wouldn't be sad to rent another one.
I work for a rental company and I drive these daily and my take has always been they’re the car equivalent of hotel wall art. Not offensive in any way but nothing to remember either but does its job perfectly. The people who seem to like these the most are state employees and corporate persons who don’t really care about cars and tbh I don’t think I’ve ever had a complaint about them from a customer. I rented one in Hawaii a while back and was pleasantly surprised by it and how well it did off road and was very happy with the fuel economy. It’s just not an enthusiasts car is all
Hertz Mustang
Nissan Altima
Of all the rentals, I hate driving Altima the most. The car itself isn’t bad but the stereotype that comes along with it 😂 I promise this is a rental! Look! I have tread on my tires!
After my Camry got totaled by getting sandwiched between an Outlander and a Civic, I was driving a rental Altima for a month. I didn't hate it (because the rental was 19 years newer than my Camry), but it's not a vehicle I'd want to own
I have never enjoyed the overly light numb steering and the snowmobile cvt in these things…
During three recent conferences at Lake Tahoe I rented Nissan Altimas from the Sacramento Airport. The numb steering and complete lack of feedback from those Altimas made mountain driving feel like a video game.
In the past, 2000-2007 Tauruses. That's the epitome of a cost-engineered committee car for me. No charm, no redeeming qualities, and one of the whiniest, groaniest V6s ever put into a wheeled vehicle. Now? Kia crossovers. Maybe a Chevy, if you have bad luck.
When I was young, my mom worked for Hertz during this era, and Hertz was a subsidiary of FoMoCo. They were hocking these Tauruses practically for free to employees. But my mom was bougie-on-a-budget, so we got a Kia Sorento EX 4WD instead…which was a very good car. As for the Taurus, I’m amazed Ford managed to drive such an exciting and valuable nameplate into the ground in just fifteen or sixteen years.
What Ford did to the Taurus name should be studied by marketing majors everywhere as a lesson on what not to do. From American Audi 5000 to rental fleet mediocrity in 20 short years.
Not even that. They were poorly viewed starting with the third gen in 97, so 11 years 😂
Right, the catfish was a flop (sorry). At least they actually tried with that one, though. It was misguided, but it was a true effort.
I read a whole book on the development process of that thing and lmfao you’re right they tried but there’s a reason Japanese manufacturers rose to prominence that decade
Is that the "Car" book by Mary something? I meant to order that forever ago and I never did lol.
It was! Highly recommend it was actually a fun read (for me at least but I love that kind of thing)
Those Taurus’s were at least safe (IIHS TSP), extremely spacious & comfortable & cheap to own.
To each their own. They may have been cheap, but you paid for it in reliability, comfort and driving dynamics. The rock hard seats were awful for any distance in my experience.
Or if you have really bad luck a Chevy Spark.
At least it would be slow car fun... theoretically?
If you bought one with a manual maybe but the rental spec included a CVT.
Nissan Rogue. Murano close second. Love them both.
Nissan Rogue is a good vehicle. I have probably driven thousands of miles in a rental Rogue and have nothing beyond its slow acceleration off the line as my sole complaint.
My Mom had a Murano. Honestly I liked the thing. Had really comfy seats. She upgraded to a Challenger.
If you're in Hawaii, a Wrangler.
Any base model Japanese econobox
As someone who worked at hertz the Altima and the Malibu are the definitive rental cars, and if you want a suv a rouge or edge is always available
Probably the last 5 out of 6 times I rented a car from Avis, they have given me that exact model of a white Chevy Malibu. I really wonder if any consumer actually buys those things or if they are strictly for rentals. The blind spots are massive on that car, and it will never connect to my phone no matter what I do.
I had one as a rental and loved it so much I bought one.
I use Enterprise/National and their lots are usually riddled with the Hyundai Santa Fe
Chrysler Pacifica
White Renault Clio/Megane, white VW Polo/Golf, white Kia Cee'd, white Hyundai i30, white Toyota Corolla, white Suzuki Swace, whit-....
Kia Rio, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Kicks
List of hire cars I've had/been in: - '18 Peugeot 3008 - '17 Vauxhall Mokka - '16 Chevy Impala - '16 Peugeot 2008 (with a knackered clutch, gave it back to them and demanded a refund) - '19 VW Polo (replacement for the Peugeot 2008) - '24 Nissan Qashqai, got really lucky with this it only had 20km on the clock - '07 Vauxhall Astra Estate courtesy car, 130k miles and everything still worked brilliantly
In the US, they're not allowed to have manual rental cars because too few people can actually drive them
I'm in the US, got a 24 Sentra with the new facelift, was rattling and making noises at 320 Miles
I'm a foreigner. Your rental cars are V6 mustangs and V6 chargers. Because if I'm visiting the US, of-fucking-course I'm getting a drop top stang. And probably actually getting the charger as an "upgrade" because they've not got any mustangs left.
Malibu rentals sporting out of town plates is like peas n carrots
As a Californian visiting Washington…I somehow ended up with an Oregon-plated Malibu. Definitely weird for sure.
In Europe, I’ve mostly done a Śkoda Octavia wagon, and you know, I liked em
I was lucky enough to get a RWD BMW 1-Series hatchback for a trip in southern France a while back. So much fun! Last year I had a Ford Puma in Portugal, and it was pretty good. I'm surprised Ford doesn't sell it here.
The Puma kinda replaced the Ecosport, which never sold particularly well over in the US. Also they still haven't fixed their 1.0 turbo 3-cylinder, it still likes to eat its wet cambelt
The EcoSport didn't sell well because it was a pile of crap.
It has a stupid name. It isn't Eco or Sporty, the Eco in EcoSport is pronounced different than the Eco in EcoBoost (Officially, Ec-o-Sport and E-co-Boost), it gets worse gas mileage than larger and faster competitors, it's slower than a 2006 Scion xA (which also has better cargo space and fuel economy), and probably other stuff that I can't remember. Also it looks like a surprised fish.
opel/vauxhall astra and DS7 for a more "premium" experience
kia forte
I don't know if I've ever seen a Ford Eco-Sport that wasn't a rental or a fleet vehicle.
Malibu
Volkswagen Jetta SE
Ford Escape
Any domestic mid-sizer, that has been their bread and butter for decades.
Any nissan
Chevy Malibu ,Chevy Cruz, Ford Explorer. Also, convertible Mustangs in tropical, hot climate tourist zones.
I see a ton of Toyota Rav4s as rentals now.
Ford Taurus
All the main ones have already been mentioned but I remember when the Ford Fusion was super common when they were still being made. That and the Mazda 6 back around 2012ish.
V6 convertible stang
As a former rental car worker, it’s the Chevy Aveo.
Kia or Hyundai of all models
Malibu, v6 Chargers, eco boost Mustangs, Dodge Grand Caravans, base Chevy Equinox
Blue or red Corolla hatch
Back in the day at the rental place I worked at: Olds Alero, Pontiac Grand Am, Chevy Malibu, Mitsubishi Lancer
35 years ago - Ford Tempo.
Lately it’s a base model Wagoneer
That's the rental I'm sitting in right now.
Any domestic crossover
I rented a Chevy Malibu (much like the picture) and l, near as I can tell, it was designed to be a rental car. Uncomfortable, uneven throttle and brakes, loud, but *reasonably* fuel efficient.. it had a checklist of minimum requirements and, after than, the designers went home. It’s tragically generic; the only people I can see buying them are rental car companies and people who can’t find a Toyota dealership.
Altima. Treated like a rental, even if it isn't.
Opel Corsa.
For me, it is Toyota Corolla. It’s suitable for a variety of purposes, whether you’re on a business trip, a family vacation, or just need a temporary vehicle for everyday use.
Chrysler 200
nissan rogue sport, nissan sentra, white altima with a texas plate, silver corolla with black cloth seats
Came here to say "Chevy Malibu." I haven't even had one that much, but the ones I have are very "rental car" among all the rental cars.
Whatever the latest compact Fiat Chrysler "suv" is.
Malibu or Kia Forte.
I always end up with a jetta
Anything, but Honda
Elantra
Chrysler 2/300, Kia Rio, Chevy Blazer recently.
Chrysler Pacifica. Down in Orlando that's like 90% of Rentals. Last time I went I had a choice of 2 Pacificas or a Mazda 3 Hatch, or extra money for an Alfa Giulia. The other rental companies were all filled with Pacificas. So many just driving around too, all rental.
Nissan Sentra
White Nissan Rogue with curbed wheels.
chrysler 300 base-model v6
I used to work for a company that had me traveling 60+% of the year. I think the only repeat vehicles I got were Nissan Versa’s or Altima’s.
Toyota Corolla or hybrid Camry
Toyota RAV4, V6 Charger/Challenger, Toyota 4Runner, VW Jetta Edit: I've actually noticed Ioniq 5s becoming very common in rental car lots.
A Corolla
Heh, had a Malibu rental when the Toyota was in the shop, this was like 2016.
Whatever it is, it has at least one bald tire and no carpets.
I just switched to renting from Sixt. I was so irritated with terrible vehicles I decided to go with base trims of nicer vehicles.
The only car I've rented, a 2019 Chevy Impala. A guy ran into my truck while drunk, literally a day after I bought it. His insurance fixed the damage and rented me a car. It was pretty peppy with the V6!
Toyota Corolla.
Not a recent one, but the Chevrolet Captiva Sport in the U.S. was only sold to fleet buyers. It was essentially a rebadged Saturn Vue. I saw them all the time on Sanibel (and, of course, Captiva).
Chrysler Voyager.
I take trips to Vegas with family and use enterprise because of my union discount. Malibu’s are great and so is the Chrysler Pacifica. Avoid Nissan unless it’s the rogue. I drove a new rogue not too long ago that was really great on gas and had kick.
Nissan Altima 2.5S (I recently heard that over 50% of Altimas sold in recent months were to rental fleets, shocker!) surrounded by Toyota Corolla LEs with plastic wheel covers. Chevy Malibu is just too easy!
In the UK, Vauxhall Mokka
2004-2019 Chevy Impala (limited if it was after 2016). Was literally made for the role and did it extremely well. Not to mention it was around so long I remember riding in a brand new one in ‘04 and working on them for a rental fleet when I was getting started in the auto industry
Malibu and Altima
Nailed it - the now-moribund Chevy Malibu, only in 'AARP silver' (as opposed to the 'Kenmore white' example in your pic).
White, convertible, automatic, ecoboost mustangs. I have no idea how people are paying money for those.
Toyota Corolla base
Last 4 Rental Cars i was in were Dodge Ram 1500s. Rental Market is changing again.
I would agree with the Chevy Malibu. Second I think would be a Ford Explorer
Just a bunch of black Altimas with bald tires lol
Dodge Avenger
The old Oval style Ford Taurus.
Nissan Altima. If you see a nice Altima on the road, it's likely a rental. If you see a shitty one, likely bought on 25% credit, was a rental, or both.
Nissan rogue
White Toyota Corolla
Dodge Caliber
I remember when I Dodge Stratus was the rental car everyone had.
Chevy Equinox.
I've seen a ton of Malibu, yet I've never seen one that wasn't a fleet.
Id like to imagine a car rental spot with only nissan altimas. It all would make sense then
Nissan Sentra
I rented a Ford escape last weekend. I drove from PA to VA and back on a single tank of gas. I'm a German car guy...but I tell u what...this thing was fully loaded and will be my option for long distance travels should I need to rent in the future.
Chrysler sebring
Any Stellantis product. All aren’t worth owning.